Grooming your dog can get expensive. Here’s how to tell if what you’re paying is normal.

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Getting your dog groomed not only makes your pooch clean, but it’s vital for her optimum health. The services that a professional groomer provides vary, and there are a few you can do yourself, while others are best left to the pros.

The first thing to decide is how often your dog should go. Nicole Rigger, owner of Pets a Go Go, suggests having dogs cleaned on quarterly basis, to include basic beautification like baths, brushing, trimming and/or filing or nails, and cleaning and brushing teeth. For longer haired breeds, undercoat maintenance is important in warmer months, as well.

The average prices for grooming services will vary depending on location, frequency of service, breed, type/condition of coat and desired services. For example, Pets A Go Go’s services range from $35-$125 for grooming. “A good groomer will include nails, ears and teeth within their price point, and will not charge for every add-on service,” says Rigger.

A full service groomer will provide many additional services such as show and puppy cuts, basic baths, anal gland expressing, nail care, ear cleaning and hair removal, sanitary shaves/trims, and teeth brushing and/or scaling.

If you’re looking for a more tailored treatment, those are available at certain places, as well. “Depending on color and type of coat, specialized services such as blueberry facials, dematting, hand stripping, shave downs and even de-skunking can be within the repertoire [of the groomer],” says Rigger.